Tubular access ports are used in medical fluid flow lines and other medical fluid containers such as blood and parenteral solution bags, syringe chambers for administration of liquids, and various tube sets such as hemodialysis arterial and venous sets, plus other extracorporeal blood flow sets, and parenteral solution administration sets. The tubular portion of the access port is designed to receive a mating connector of another device which fits within the lumen of the tubular portion. To preserve sterility prior to use, the tubular access port may have a closure of conventional design, typically a removable, tubular cap comprising an end wall covering the opening of the lumen, a tubular wall fitting around the outer portion of said tubular portion and, also, typically, a male member attached to the inner face of the end wall that fits down into the lumen of said tubular portion. The tubular access ports themselves may be on the end of a branch tubing which connects to a tube set or other medical fluid container, or the access port may be directly carried on main flow tubing of a branch tubing set, a medical solution bag, a cap of another kind of container such as a dialyzer housing, a drip chamber, or the like.
Specifically, such tubular access ports may comprise a simple, open tubular end having a cylindrical lumen, or it may comprise a female luer or luer lock connector. Also, the tubular access port may be of a design as illustrated in U.S. published patent applications 2004/0068238 or 2004/0068239.
Additionally, such tubular access ports may contain any partial or complete wall which is recessed below the outer end of the port, and which partially or completely blocks or bridges a recessed portion of the lumen of the tubular access port, such as a one-way valve, check valve or a three-way rotary valve and the like.
As a problem with these designs, when the access port is opened, sterility of course is lost in the lumen of the access port and any barriers, valves or mechanisms within the flow pathway of the port, and the port should be resterilized or disinfected if it is to be reused. Typically, only the external portions of tubular and non-tubular access ports, for example, the elastomeric surface and outer housing of resealable elastomeric injection sites for needles are disinfected, typically with a conventional alcohol “prep pad”.
In accordance with this invention, a closure is provided for a tubular access port in which disinfection of the lumen of the access port is greatly facilitated at low cost and with great ease, without the need of extra equipment except for, typically, a conventional alcohol “prep pad”, or the like, such pads being generally ubiquitous at clinical and medical facilities.